


pulling shapes just for your eyes

by benditlikepress



Category: NCIS
Genre: Dialogue Heavy, Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff, just silly really, rated M to be on the safe side
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-19
Updated: 2020-05-19
Packaged: 2021-03-02 19:07:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,485
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24271825
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/benditlikepress/pseuds/benditlikepress
Summary: Ziva is caught off-guard after planning a surprise date night for Tony.
Relationships: Ziva David/Anthony DiNozzo
Comments: 10
Kudos: 64





	pulling shapes just for your eyes

**Author's Note:**

> title is from toothpaste kisses by the maccabees

**_“I’m starving. Dinner?”_ **

Ziva smiled at the text as she looked at the concoction she’d already started to make. She fired off a quick **_“Sounds good”,_** not leaving room for any more conversation in the hopes Tony wouldn’t try to engage her in a discussion of what they should eat. It was hard enough to surprise him as it was.

The idea had been building up in her mind since that night a couple of weeks ago when she’d not been able to sleep. She’d got up to write on the couch and had been half-awake still when she felt him creep in with a blanket for her and press a kiss to her forehead. He’d stroked her hair for a while before she’d opened her eyes and she’d thought, then, that he wouldn’t mention something like this. It was nothing to him. Something that could mean so much to her – more than he’d ever realise, was as simple to him as taking a breath.

The more she'd settled in and got comfortable over the past couple of months the more she'd became aware of the things Tony did - without thinking, without hesitating, without asking for recognition. She knew he wouldn't expect anything in return, either, which is what only encouraged her further.

Dinner was fairly simple as gestures went, but given they had the apartment to themselves for this set time every fortnight Ziva thought she might turn it into a tradition. Tali had ballet – something Ziva had always secretly hoped she’d one day have a child to introduce to, though she hadn’t expected Tali to ever get as invested as she did. She went with her best friend and Tony and Ziva took turns with her parents, each week alternating who picked the girls up from school and took care of them for the few hours until the evening dance class.

The days coincided with Ziva's afternoon off, so usually on their week Ziva would pick them up from school and head to the park or a restaurant for an early dinner, and Tony would meet them there after work with a megawatt smile and Tali's ballet bag. On their week without the girls, usually they’d have slow tired sex and order pizza and lounge around watching a movie. Really, though, it depended on how the day had gone. Tony had an uncanny way of guessing exactly what Ziva needed.

She hadn't realised it possible for someone to be able to read her mind quite in the way Tony did. She didn't mind it, not really, but she liked to think she could still catch him by surprise sometimes.

It was this thought process that had led to her spending her free afternoon off turning the kitchen upside down, making an extravagant meal and setting candles on the table and cleaning the apartment wearing nothing but one of his dress shirts while she waited for her hair to dry. She'd picked out a dress to wear - one of the only ones she currently owned, deep cut and green and very much reminded her of the first time he'd seen her in one. She smiled at the memory as she put the chicken in the oven.

* * *

Ziva had barely had time to start prepping the starters before she heard footsteps in the hall and keys jangling outside the front door. She panicked for a split second, looking at the mess surrounding her and her current attire, before formulating a quick plan. She pulled herself up onto the kitchen counter, crossed her legs, and tried to feign a nonchalant expression. The door opened and Tony’s head was ducked down, looking at his phone.

"Home already?"

"The electricity blew out, if you can believe that. Thought I may as well just go. What's-"

He stopped talking as he took in the scene: wine, dinner on the stove, Ziva perched on the counter wearing his shirt and nothing else.

"Hey."

"Um. Hi. What's all this?"

"Dinner. Would you like a glass of wine?"

"Uh. Sure."

"Shoes off."

She couldn't see from this far away but sensed Tony rolling his eyes as he pulled his shoes off without undoing the laces, dumping his coat and bag on the floor and crossing the room towards her.

Ziva poured the glass of wine and held it out to him as he approached. He took the glass and immediately dropped his hand down to his side, moving towards her to greet her with a kiss.

"What're you making?"

"Do you remember that chicken thing I used to make you the summer Gibbs retired?"

"Remember it? I dream about it every night."

"I cannot tell you how pleased I am to hear that as your girlfriend and mother of your child."

Tony sarcastically guffawed, caught out. "What's the occasion?"

"No occasion. I thought we could do something nice, but I figured you would not want to go out somewhere after work."

Tony's hand moved between her closed knees, and Ziva raised an eyebrow as she pulled them apart and allowed him to step between her legs. He took a long drink from his wine and then put it down on the counter next to where she was sat, turning his full attention towards her.

"Be careful, I could get used to this."

"I would not recommend it. I am too old now to be your trophy wife."

"And this..?" Tony pulled at the bottom of the shirt with a light touch, fingertips grazing the bare skin of her upper thigh.

"Oh. Well, you are a little earlier than I expected. I just had a shower, I was going to get dressed."

"Nuh-uh, this is good. You're telling me this is what you always look like on your afternoons off?"

"Usually I do not bother with the shirt."

Ziva feigned disinterest, stirring the sauce as Tony's lips quirked upwards.

"I've been meaning to tell you, I've been thinking about early retirement."

"Well be careful, your trophy wife may go off and find herself a millionaire."

"Is that so?"

"Mm." Ziva hummed against his lips as he closed the space between them. Her legs parted further to allow him room to move forwards, pressing his chest against her and his hands tight on her hips.

His tongue was quickly in her mouth and it was amazing how now, so many years after the first time, Ziva's heart-rate still exploded in the same way when she felt his hands crawling up her shirt and onto her bare skin.

He was warm and he made a noise against her mouth as she ran her hands through his hair, wrapping her legs around him to pull him in tighter.

He separated their lips and began to work his way down her neck as Ziva tipped her head back to allow him more access. He nuzzled his nose and mouth into the crevice where neck met shoulder and the sensation made her skin prickle.

When Tony's fingers began to walk their way up her thighs and down towards her centre, Ziva fought hard to resist it. Difficult to do with her hands all over his chest, pulling his jacket and shirt open so she could get contact with his skin.

Finding her last reserves of self-control, she placed a hand on his chest and backed her head away from him but he instinctively followed to recapture her lips, bracing his hands on the counter. She tapped his chest and smiled as he finally relented, groaning.

"Easy lion. Later."

"It's.."

"I know. Seeing as I am being so nice, the least you could do is not correct me for one night."

"Nothing for free, huh?"

A hand on his wrist encouraged him to move it and she hopped down from the counter and found herself pressed up against him. She gave him a chaste kiss before spinning out of his grasp and turning her attention to the stove. She could feel his eyes on her still, boring into the side of her head. She looked up at him again briefly, revelling in the expression on his face.

"I suppose I stole your shirt, that is a point in your favour."

"Where'd you get it, anyway?"

"It was hanging on the bathroom door."

"I wore it _all day_ yesterday." Tony lifted Ziva's arm to his face and pressed a quick kiss on the skin.

"You cannot smell your own scent."

"Wait, really? No." He tried to take her arm back and Ziva shook it out of his grasp with a chuckle, lifting it to her nose and taking in his familiar scent.

"I will need another shower now."

“So long as I can come.”

“Deal. But for now, if you _really_ want something to do.."

Ziva placed the chopping board in front of him and pushed the pile of vegetables towards his hand. He grabbed a knife and watched as she used her hands to tease out her drying hair, encouraging the curls to set properly.

“Something else?”

"God, you look beautiful today."

"You always say that."

"Yeah, but seriously. I mean it. Are you single?"

Ziva batted his arm as she turned back to the stove. "I will be if you don't stop flirting and start chopping."

"Here, I thought this was all a ruse to seduce me."

"Of course it is, Mr DiNozzo, but if we do not eat first then the chicken is going to burn."

"Yes ma'am. Music?”

“Sure.”

Tony began fiddling with his phone. Soon the sounds of 60s music filled the air, and Tony half-heartedly began to help Ziva, more focused on humming along and drinking more wine.

"This wine is _good_. Did you pay more than ten dollars?" The question made Ziva laugh. "I know, right? Remember when we used to treat ourselves with things like this? Who knew kids eat money."

"I think that is a well-established fact, actually."

"Well, nobody warned me." Tony took another sip. "Is this really all for no reason? No occasion? You didn't sell the vespa, did you?"

"If that is an invitation, I will take it. But no. I just.. I have been thinking a lot lately, about how much you do for us. I think you deserve a nice night once in a while."

"Ziva, I don't need rewarding for taking care of my family."

"Perhaps not. But I want to do it for you, all the same."

There was a smile on his face as she spoke, soft and a little shy somehow. “That’s what I love about you.”

“And I love that you would do all of those things for me, be there on my worst days, without ever expecting anything in return. Even on days where I can barely stand to be around myself. And you are not allowed to try and play that off.” She added when she saw his mouth open.

“I hate when you know what I’m about to say. But thanks.”

It was funny that that was half the reason Ziva had thought to do this for him today. It made her think of how they could be sometimes back then – always unspoken, of course. The times when they'd been on it - when they could finish each other's thoughts, drive to interviews laughing, step in time as they rode in all guns blazing. Us against the world. Every day was like that now. Ziva would've accused someone else of romanticising things but it really was. Even on bad days when she couldn't get out of bed, there was nowhere else she'd rather be than lying there beside him.

He bent down to kiss her cheek.

"How was work? Aside from missing working with me?"

"Aside from _that_ , work was fine. I think we won the grant."

"Hey, that's great! I'm surprised you have any charm left."

"Luckily I was able to save up all my charms - I am very vocal with my belief that I should not have to charm rich people into investing in charity. My job in those meetings is to give figures and look.. mildly threatening."

"Mission accomplished, I'm sure. If only the suits could see you like this."

"I am not sure they would be quite as receptive."

"Oh, I don't know about that."

“No? Well, either way it seems a little unfair.”

“In what sense?”

Ziva pulled at his arm to turn him back to her and began to undo his tie. “I’m feeling under-dressed.”

“Ah. I see. I don’t know, I kinda like this..”

Ziva pulled his tie out from under his collar sharply. “Jacket off, _Anthony_..”

“Or what?”

“You do not want to find out.”

“Well, I know better than to ignore a vague threat from you.”

“Perfect.” Ziva smiled, satisfied, as Tony shrugged off his suit jacket and placed it on the counter next to his tie. “You can keep your pants on for now.”

“What if I don’t want to?”

“Then we can both be like him. Um. Risky Business.”

“Look at you, you’re learning.”

“You still have not picked up a single book in the fifteen years I have known you, but I am not taking it personally.”

Before Tony could reply, his attention was distracted by a change in song. His face lit up.

“Oh. OH. Come on.”

“What?”

“ _The boys watch the girls while the girls watch the boys who watch the girls go by_! ‘s a classic!”

“It is?”

Ziva watched Tony as he made noises in time to the trumpet sounds, amusement and something else warm in her chest, before he grabbed her hand without warning and lifted it in the air, spinning her underneath it.

“What has gotten into you?”

“You tell me. I got home and you were sat on the counter half-naked pouting at me.”

“I was _not.”_

“You weren’t? Then what was that?”

“You caught me off-guard, that is all. I had to improvise.”

“A turn-up for the books. Ziva David caught off-guard.”

“Shut up.”

Ziva bent down to open the oven and check on the chicken. She kept her hand on the counter to steady herself and her fingers tapped out the beat of the song involuntarily – something that didn’t go unnoticed.

“You love this song, Ziva.”

“No I don’t.”

“You do. You hum it practically every day.”

“Just because something is catchy, does not mean I like it.”

“Sure. Sure. Just a.. physiological response, right?”

“I find this song very confusing. The words are too quick and similar for me to keep up with. If we ever move back to the States, maybe this song can train me back into speaking English 24/7. I pride myself on understanding accents but his is very..”

“I’ll have to remember this next time you make me listen to some of your Hebrew rap.”

“Which you _admitted_ to enjoying.”

"That’s the rub, is it? All these years and you still can't give me the satisfaction. Y'know, cat's kinda already out of the bag. I know you like me now."

"I ‘like’ you?"

"What word would you prefer? Obsessed?”

"I love you Tony, as you know very well, even when you mock me. Although in the interests of transparency, I will admit. I do, _sometimes_ , miss working with you." She used a finger jabbed lightly into his chest to accentuate her point. "But I will have to kill you before I admit to liking this song. True or not."

"Ah, there it is. I've been waiting for this day and it’s finally come."

"Don't think I will not do it just because I _like_ you. It is a very thin line, like they say in your movies. Something which I am willing to admit I do, _sometimes_ , enjoy."

Ziva turned back to the chicken, expecting Tony to make some kind of noise of victory, but he stayed silent. She turned back to him and stared at the expression on his face, a quirk in her eyebrow.

“Did you hear me? I admitted it. Go ahead, do a.. victory celebration.”

“I’m good.”

“Ah. Wonders never cease. Hm, I think this is almost ready. What do you think?” Ziva held the spoon up to Tony’s lips and he tasted the sauce. “Good?”

"Marry me."

"Hah. You have not tasted the whole thing yet, Tony - we did not have half of the ingredients so I had to improvise. I have not made it in many years and-"

"I'm not kidding."

"You're not?"

"No, I'm not. Marry me."

Ziva’s heart was racing and she fought against the instinct to leave her mouth agape, watching the easy smile on his face. “I thought we were going to wait. Let things settle down for a while.”

“Why did we say that? I don’t wanna wait. I wanna get married. Do you want to get married?”

“Yes, of course I do.”

“Then let’s do it.”

“OK.”

“Yeah?”

“Yes. Let’s get married.”

The tone in his voice had been so simple, as though it was the most natural decision in the world. As Ziva pulled him towards her and kissed his smiling lips, she thought maybe it was.

When she tried to pull back he stopped her, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her in for a tight hug that made her eyes water. He whispered something in her ear that she didn’t quite catch, before finally letting her pull back to look him in the eye. She saw him note the tears welling in her eyes, bashfully.

“I cannot believe this. I tried to surprise you, for once, and you go and do this.”

“I think spontaneous is good.”

“It’s perfect, Tony.” She kissed him again, running her hands through his hair and opening her eyes to stare at him. “I love you.”

“Love you too.”

“Don’t think I will get you get out of giving me a ring.”

“You think I don’t already have one?”

“Really?”

“Wow, you have no faith in me, huh?”

“I did not realise so much thought had gone into this. You just proposed to me with a wooden spoon in your mouth.”

“Well I was always _going_ to propose. But we said we were gonna wait. Guess it just occurred to me that I didn’t want to.”

“I..” Ziva began talking but found herself, unexpectedly, lost for words. Tony grinned and covered her mouth with his hand.

“Hold that thought. Wait right here.”

He stepped away from her and disappeared out of the room, giving Ziva time to wipe her eyes and try to take a breath. There’d been countless surreal moments since she’d arrived in Paris, but this had to top the lot.

Tony reappeared with his hands behind his back and that grin on his face again – the one that made her heart stop.

“All this you’re doing today, it’s perfect. Y’know? Spending time together, having fun, messing around. And I know not every day’s like this, as easy as this, but that’s what makes them special. And I just wanna spend the rest of my life having days like this. And lazy days, and crappy days, and days where Tali doesn’t leave us alone for a goddamn minute. And maybe if I’d had more time I could’ve planned a speech and a big romantic gesture but I just… really want you to be my wife.” Tony brought his hands forward to reveal a small red box. He opened it and took the ring out, holding it on the end of his first finger. It was bigger than she’d expected, gold, with a stone that glistened in the light of the setting sun through the window. "I bought this ring on New Year's Day 2018."

"New Year's Day 2018 I was in... Tunisia. We had not spoken in weeks.”

"I took Tali for a walk and we walked past a jewellers and I remember being surprised it was open. That's how I remember what day it was. Anyway, I saw this ring and I just.. I don't know, it made me think about you. I figured it was going to come in handy one day."

“It’s beautiful, Tony. Really, I…. I do not know what to say.”

“Don’t say anything. Just put it on before you change your mind.”

“Change my mind? I would marry you tomorrow if we could.” Ziva held her hand out and Tony placed it on her finger quickly before she grabbed him again, pulling herself up onto him and wrapping her legs around his hips. She felt him stumble back a little towards the counter and smiled against his lips as she imagined him complaining in the morning about her ambushing him and ruining his back. Some things, she thought, are worth it.

“ _Can_ we get married tomorrow?”

“We have work.”

“Sick day?”

"Tempting. Very tempting. And, Tony..”

“What?”

“Just so you know - when you tell people this story, I have clothes on."

"Got it."


End file.
